Fever Tame the Wild
May 2, 2010 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Tri-Cities Fever News Release
The Tri-Cities Fever needed a win for several reasons Saturday night.
The Fever needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Fever needed a win to close the first half of the season with a victory. But more importantly, the Fever needed a win for some confidence and some proof that the team was on the right track to turning around what has been a disappointing start to the season in terms of wins and losses.
And all those reasons were taken care of with a 56-48 win over the Alaska Wild at Toyota Center.
"Despite our record, the playoffs are not out of sight," said Fever receiver Brandon Copeland. "This win feels great. We've put in a lot of hard work."
The Fever improves to 2-5 in its inaugural season in the Indoor Football League and opens the second half of the season this Saturday at home against the Kent Predators.
"We've still got a chance to do something," said Fever coach Adam Shackleford. "We got some games coming up that I think are winnable."
That string of games started Saturday with Alaska (2-7), handing the Wild its sixth straight loss.
The Fever did it with backup quarterback Houston Lillard. Lillard stepped in for the injured Andy Collins and had the Fever offense moving down the field efficiently most of the night.
Lillard, in his first IFL start, completed 21 of 28 passes for 214 yards and six touchdowns. He did throw one interception.
Lillard's night got off to kind of a rough start. On the third play from scrimmage, Lillard missed an open Thyron Lewis streaking in the end zone. But that missed throw, Lillard says, gave him some confidence.
"I felt good," he said. "I was so anxious; I threw that ball so hard. But I made the right read, I just needed to keep my composure."
And that he did. After the Fever failed to score on its first drive of the game, Lillard led the Fever on seven straight scoring drives as Tri-Cities took a 49-34 lead late in the third quarter.
Brandon Copeland was on the receiving end of nine of Lillard's 21 completions. Copeland finished with nine catches for 116 yards and four touchdowns. Kevin Heard added six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown.
"After that first series, I think he really settled down," Copeland said of Lillard. "We just need to go out and have some fun."
For most of the night, the Fever defense struggled to stop the Alaska offense. But when it needed a stop the most, Derek Nicholson made his presence felt.
Nicholson stripped Alaska quarterback Jamie Williamson of the football with less than a minute left in the game with the Wild at the Fever 5-yard line and trailing, 55-48. Lionel Singleton, playing in his first game for the Fever, recovered the fumble and the Fever ran out the clock. It was Nicholson's second forced fumble of the night.
"I think we got the right guys, we just need to get them in the right spot," Shackleford said. "This is a rebuilding process and it's going to take some time. ... I am just happy for all the fans that came out tonight; they deserved to see a win."
Indoor Football League Stories from May 2, 2010
- Maniacs Keep it Close but Raiders, Calls Too Much To Handle - Maryland Maniacs
- Extreme Trampled by Omaha Beef, 25-66 - Bloomington Extreme
- Fever Tame the Wild - Tri-Cities Fever
- West Michigan Falls To Revolution - West Michigan Thunderhawks
- Roughnecks Drop Road Battle With Arkansas, 73-28 - West Texas Roughnecks
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